Illustrates how ranchers obtained and stored water for their livestock in this arid region. Significant locally in the areas of agriculture.

Long Significance Description:

Helped support area mining activities by supplying food. Lower portion built by C. O. Barker, a cattleman, around 1900. Later raised in 1949-1950 by the Bill Keys family. SHPO detemined structure to be a contributing element of the Keys Ranch Historic District cultural landscape on 08/24/2004.

Construction Period:

Construction Period:

Historic

Chronology:

Physical Event

Begin Year

Begin Year AD/BC

End Year

End Year AD/BC

Designer

Designer Occupation

1.

Built

1900

AD

1930

AD

Barker, C.O.

Other

2.

Altered

1949

AD

1950

AD

Keys, William F. (Bill)

Other

Function and Use:

Primary Historic Function:

Dam

Primary Current Use:

Dam

Structure Contains Museum Collections?:

No

Other Functions or Uses:

Other Function(s) or Use(s)

Historic or Current

No records.

Physical Description:

Structure Type:

Major Utility

Volume:

20,000 - 2,000,000 cubic feet

Square Feet:

500

Material(s):

Structural Component(s)

Material(s)

1.

Substructure

Fieldstone

2.

Superstructure

Concrete

Short Physical Description:

Concrete and stone dam of irregular shape is 150' long, 20 feet high and 14" thick at top. Lower, downstream portion of dam is surfaced with stone,

Long Physical Description:

Lowest 9' of dam, the Original Barker Dam, was constructed of concrete surfaced with stone on the downstream side. The height of dam was raised an additional 6' of concrete in 1949-1950. Dam has several indentations. Inscription at top reads: "Big Horn Dam Built by Willis Keys, W.F. Keyes, Phyllis M. Keys, 1949-1950."